


Hot Tea

by bewdifuldragon



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M, Fireworks, Fluff, New Years, Romance, Tea, prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-30
Updated: 2016-12-30
Packaged: 2018-09-13 12:59:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9124831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bewdifuldragon/pseuds/bewdifuldragon
Summary: There are a million ways to say I love you in this world, and Levi, it seemed, had one of the most unique. New Year's fic. Slight language.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to the anonymous Tumblr user who asked me to consider Levi, Mikasa and hot beverages. The concept got away from me a little towards the end there but I'm just really looking forward to watching 2016 D I E, okay? Please forgive me. I finished this after midnight last night and proofread this morning, so hopefully this sounds the same to everyone else as it does in my head.
> 
> All my love to all my readers, and best of luck for the coming year. May all your dreams come true in 2017 xx

It had been the coldest and bitterest start to any winter those who lived within the walls had ever seen. Not the most original way for any story to begin, but facts were facts – and this fact had been pissing Levi off for the whole month.

 

There seemed to be no comprehendible reason for the sudden extreme chill, but the freezing temperature had made missions, and even basic training, very difficult; almost nigh on impossible in fact, so the entirety of December had been slow, monotonous and dull.

 

Now the month was coming to an end, and while there didn’t seem to be any relief from the weather in sight, Levi did have something to look forward to. He’d already won his yearly argument with Erwin, wherein the blond would insist that Levi do _something_ to greet the New Year since goodness knows if they’ll ever see another one, and Levi would just roll his eyes and (politely, of course) remind him that parties were _not_ his idea of fun; and while the rest of the Scouts toasted the occasion, he’d take full advantage of the peace and quiet and catch up on reading or some such crap.

 

But this year, Levi chose to deviate from his usual tradition. Instead of spending the New Year unaccompanied in his room, he opted to perch atop the Scouts’ building, in a spot where he could see but not be seen, and witness the festivities from above, knowing he’d be joined soon enough.

 

People lit fires and sung off-key and danced, and Levi watched sullenly. He knew his asocial behaviour wasn’t quite healthy, and truth be told, a part of him actually _wanted_ to be among the partygoers, laughing and holding out hope for the coming year. But his pessimism prevented him; because the rest of him found it moot to look to a bright future when the shadows of the now were all around. He let out a mournful sigh, and pulled his knees up to his chest.

 

“Well, that sounded like the weight of the world.”

 

In front of his face, a hand dangled a hot cup of tea. He reached out to take it, and a warm blanket was draped over his shoulders.

 

“Mikasa.”

 

“Levi,” she greeted in kind, curling up by his side; and as soon as she did, he wrapped the blanket around her, too.

 

“Shouldn’t you be down there celebrating?”

 

“Shouldn’t you?”

 

She grinned up at him, and he was helpless then; he could face down the most terrifying of titans and not waver, but her smile utterly undid him, causing his heart to flutter and his stomach to fill with butterflies. It was an old trope he never considered to be applicable to himself, and yet he’d never been so happy to be proven wrong in his life.

 

If he was honest – and he usually was – Levi couldn’t pinpoint exactly when or how he’d fallen in love with her. All he knew was, when he finally understood what all these strange feelings inside of him were, he felt no fear or frustration as he expected to. Rather, there had been a great sense of relief, because Mikasa was so _easy_ to love. She was skilled, intelligent, honest, thoughtful, selfless, and so, _so_ kind. (And, of course, only a fool would neglect to mention her stunning beauty.)

 

There had been but one problem – Levi had no idea what to do about it. Every great soldier must be able to admit to their flaws, and if there was one thing in this entire world he was stupid about, it was expressing feelings.

 

He’d considered roses, chocolates, and all the cliché stuff, but none of it felt right. He’d even attempted to flirt after discreetly seeking advice from Erwin and Hange under the guise of “asking for a friend” (not one of his brighter ideas), and that got him nowhere. So ultimately, he turned to what he knew.

 

There are a million ways to say _I love you_ in this world, and Levi, it seemed, had one of the most unique.

 

On an ordinary, utterly forgettable day, Levi had approached Mikasa out of the blue, and handed her a cup of tea. She’d been confused, but took it gratefully, and seemed surprised to find that it was absolutely perfect.

 

Each day, he brought her hot tea; handed it to her wordlessly and walked away like nothing ever happened. For over a month this went on, and each time, he’d whisper the words he so desperately wanted to say as he left, so quietly that nobody had any hope of hearing him. Then one day, as he offered her the cup, she took it, set it aside, and kissed him instead. It was truthfully the most pleasant surprise of his life.

 

“Good point,” he conceded, and she laughed at him and turned her attention to the festivities below, blowing on the hot drink in her own cup. Levi joined in her people-watching, sipping his tea every so often, until she spoke again.

 

“My mother had a tradition,” she said. “She told me that she always began the year with the people she wanted to spend it with. I always thought it was nice, and I try to uphold it too.”

 

Levi was a little surprised – Mikasa never spoke of her mother. And then the implication of her words sunk in like lead dropped into quicksand, and he couldn’t keep from smiling. Not that he wanted to.

 

Mikasa, he’d long since learned, also had a less-than-conventional way of saying _I love you_.

 

Neither had uttered the words aloud at this point, and that was okay. Moments like these spoke volumes. He pulled her a little closer and made to whisper something in her ear, when a loud noise caught his attention. It was the crowd below, yelling in unison.

 

“Ten! Nine! Eight-”

 

The couple watched in silence as the shouting grew louder and louder the closer to one they got; and at that magic number, there was all kinds of screaming and cheering. Fireworks shot into the sky as humanity welcomed the beginning of a new year; a blank slate for all; a fresh start where anything could happen.

 

Oh, those fireworks, they were beautiful; but not half as beautiful as the look on Mikasa’s face as she gazed at them. Levi’s attention flickered from the colours in the sky to her, eventually deciding that the latter was the much prettier sight.

 

“Happy new year, Mikasa,” he murmured, watching as she turned her focus to him.

 

“Happy new year, Levi.”

 

They shared a kiss then and there; and for a moment, on top of that roof, wrapped in a blanket, sharing tea while the fireworks lit up their surroundings in brief bursts, Levi actually felt the same level of hope and optimism for the coming year as all the people below.

 

The kiss was broken when Mikasa started to giggle all of a sudden.

 

“What is it?” he asked, confused.

 

“Nothing, it’s just…” Mikasa traced her thumb over his cheek ever-so-gently, a look of complete and utter happiness on her face. “I’m really glad you made me tea that time.”


End file.
